Infect Me With Your Love
by specs 0-0
Summary: Alek said it didn't mean anything. It was just a one night stand. Besides, it's not as if Chloe was in love with him. So why is her heart breaking? And why is she suddenly getting sick in the mornings? After all, it didn't mean anything, right?
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, I haven't seen this done before, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Please review and let me know what you think!**

As cliché as it was, when Chloe woke up, the sunlight was streaming through her window, onto her naked body.

Wait. A. Minute.

Chloe glanced down, and quickly realized she was naked, a blush spreading throughout her body. The blush only intensified, when she remembered why exactly she had no clothes on. Last night was coming to her, in bits and pieces, flashes of skin, and sweet nothings that had been whispered into her ears. Beautiful blonde hair, and brown eyes.

Collapsing against her pillows, Chloe brought her hands up to cover her eyes. Alek. She could not believe that she had slept with Alek last night. She could not believe that she had slept with him. Alek! Her protector, another Mai, the guy who teased her constantly!

She groaned, and tried to sort out her head. She had been drunk, they both had. They had gone clubbing with Amy, and Paul, and Jasmine. They had only had cokes though, so someone must have spiked their drinks. They had been dancing, a little more erotically than they probably should have. Alek escorted her home as always, and Chloe hadn't made him leave when she changed for bed. One thing had led to another, and suddenly there had been a flurry of kisses, and clothes tossed everywhere in a frenzy of passion.

And now, here Chloe was, 'the morning after', having to deal with the fact that she had slept with Alek. The alleged 'sex god' of school, even if he never slept with any of those human girls. But Chloe was not human. And neither was Alek.

Sighing, Chloe stared at a wall, trying to figure out what to do. How was she supposed to face the blonde Brit now? They had sex! Oh god, her mother was going to kill her. And if Amy found out, she was going to press her for details, and it would only increase Paul's hero worship of Alek. Oh god, this was all so screwed up.

But why didn't it feel worse?

That was what Chloe could not understand. She had supposed she was supposed to feel much worse than this. After all, she was in love with Brian, wasn't she? She liked him, but she couldn't be with him. She was heartbroken over him, yet she had slept with Alek. Had he just been consultation to her? That wasn't what it had felt like last night. In fact, Chloe distinctly remembered the words 'I love you' being exchanged on both sides.

So what exactly had happened last night?

Chloe knew the logistics, and she knew that they had sex. She remembered what it felt like, every touch, every kiss, and when Alek finally brought her to her climax. But she couldn't remember for the life of her, what was running through her head during the whole experience. And that was the most irritating thing about the entire situation.

What was it her mother had once said? Just because someone was drunk didn't mean they did things they wanted to do. It just released one's inhibitions. So did that mean that Chloe had wanted to have sex with Alek?

Confused by everything, and head pounding, Chloe made her way into the bathroom, starting the shower, and trying to clear her head. She needed to think about things rationally here. So she had slept with Alek. So what? What did that mean for Chloe? Did it have to mean anything? People had sex without love all the time!

But did Chloe want that for herself? And what about Alek?

It was all so confusing. Letting the warm water wash over her body, and wash away the guilt and confusion, Chloe took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself. If she was being completely honest, it sent little thrills of happiness up and down her spine, knowing that she had slept with Alek. It wasn't because she was the first girl at school to do so-or at least, she assumed she was-but rather because it made her happy. She liked knowing that she had shared something so special and intimate with Alek.

Sure, she had given away her virginity in a drunken stupor, but did it really mean that much to her? She trusted Alek more than she trusted anyone in the world. Who better to give it to? And it wasn't as if he were unattractive. He was gorgeous, and he certainly had given her a pleasurable evening. Chloe couldn't wait to do it again sober.

She immediately froze, in the process of washing her hair. Was that simply an errant thought, or had she actually meant that? Did she really plan to do that again? It was a mistake, wasn't it? She had thought she was in love with Brian. What else was hiding from her, deep in her heart and mind?

Pressing her flushed forehead against the cool tile of the shower, Chloe took several deep breaths, and tried to review the facts, to make sense of this all.

Fact: she could never be with Brian. Fact: she cared deeply about Alek. Fact: last night had been the best night of her life. Fact: she wanted to do it again. Fact: Alek was Mai, and she could kiss him. Fact: Alek had been sweet, and gentle, and kind, and everything she had ever wanted.

Trying to calm down her erratically beating heart, Chloe took several more deep breaths, and attempted to steady her shaking knees. Unable to, she slid down in the shower. The facts did not lie. They were lining up perfectly, and Chloe could not deny it.

She had wanted to have sex with Alek. She had wanted everything that had happened last night to happen. Chloe King had wanted Alek to make her feel like that, to treat her like that. There was no questions about it anymore. Brian had been child's play compared to Alek.

Without a doubt, Chloe King was falling heads over heels in love with Alek Petrov.

* * *

><p>Alek was leaning against the chimney, waiting for Chloe. His mind was filled with thoughts, and memories of what had happened last night.<p>

He had lost his virginity to Chloe King.

Not that he really had a problem with it. She was Mai, so she wouldn't die, she was gorgeous, sassy, brave, strong, flexible, and did he mention beautiful? But she was _Chloe King_. The Uniter. And while part of him was simply saying that it was all the more reason to sleep with her, he still could not believe that he had.

Because he hadn't been drunk last night.

She had, and Alek was fairly sure someone had switched her drink with an alcohol filled one, so Alek had stayed glued to her side, not drinking anything himself. And when he had helped her stumble home, she had let him watch as she changed, practically performing a striptease for him, without even knowing it. And there had gone his self control.

He had practically pounced on her, and one thing led to another, which eventually led to them naked in Chloe's bed, reveling in the afterglow. Alek had watched as Chloe's pale eyelids had drooped close as she slipped into a peaceful sleep, clutching him possessively. He had spent a good five minutes admiring her beautiful form, before the guilt finally kicked in.

He had slept with Chloe King. He had completely taken advantage of her. He knew he was falling for Chloe, he knew that they belonged together. But he had ruined everything, he was sure of it. After all, hadn't it just been last week that she was heartbroken over Bryce?

Alek sighed, and ran a hand over his face, agonized at this turn of events. He might have had a chance. He and Chloe had been growing closer as of late, even one of the jocks had pointed out that he stared at her a bit too long in the hallway once. They could have been perfect together, but he had gone and ruined it.

Losing his virginity was not a big deal to Alek. After all, of all the people to lose it too, he couldn't imagine wanting anyone other than Chloe. But he was a guy, and she was a girl. It was probably a hell of a lot more important to Chloe, than it was to Alek. She had probably been expecting rose petals and candles, while a handsome Brain stripped her of a beautiful white wedding dress. But instead she had gotten drunken sex, that ended nearly as quickly as it began, a flash of clothes and skin, and moans.

Taking a deep breath, Alek looked up at the clear blue sky. He knew what he had to do. He didn't want to have to do it, but he would. After all, he was Chloe's protector. They had to be able to move past this, and Alek would do what he had to, to make that possible, even if he had to break his own heart in the process.

Suddenly there was a noise, and Alek turned around to see a beautiful, slightly flushed Chloe King. She was wearing a pretty purple shirt with a tan colored shawl, and tight jeans that made Alek practically go week at the knees. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and it was all he could do not to reach over and tug one of her pretty blonde curls, as he had done last night. He needed to be mature. He had to be the cruel one here.

"H-hey Alek."

Chloe sounded nervous, yet determined, and Alek swallowed. If he hadn't been certain before, he was positive now. He had to do this, so it wouldn't be awkward for Chloe. She deserved more than that. She deserved a better protector than that. Alek groaned. He so did not want to have to explain this one to Jasmine and Valentina.

"Chloe, we need to talk."

The Uniter looked even more nervous as she bit her lip, but she nodded, and gently tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Yeah. We do. What happened last night was-"

"A mistake." Alek cut off, and he avoided looking in Chloe's eyes, so he never saw the flash of utter pain that was evident in her pretty eyes. "And I'm sorry about that Chloe. I was drunk off my ass too." Lie. "I didn't mean to do that to you, you mean more than just some drunken one night stand." Truth. Chloe meant so much more than that.

"So…that's all it was?"

Alek refused to flatter himself by thinking that Chloe sounded hurt, or disappointed by that. She was in love with Brad. What happened with me was nothing, just a regret.

"Of course. Chloe, I'm sorry, I never meant to make you just another girl. You're important, you're special. We shouldn't have slept together. I failed you as a guard, and I should be taken off duty because of this." That was certainly true. However it didn't seem that Chloe wanted that.

"No!" She cried in outrage. "No, that's not what I want at all! Look, like you said, it was a mistake." The words pierced Alek's heart like a dagger. "We just won't tell anyone alright? It will be our secret?"

Placing his trademark smirk on his face, no matter how much it hurt, he spoke to Chloe. "Of course. Our dirty little secret. Though I don't know if I'll be able to stop the…jokes, whilst around a certain human of yours is around."

Chloe glared at him, and Alek tried to swallow down the bile. She still cared what Ryan thought. She would be upset about this because of him. Not because of the potential fallout between _them_, but with _him_. It was downright painful.

Alek watched as Chloe sighed, and then began to speak. "You're right. It was nothing, and we just have to move past this. Forget it ever happened, right?"

The male Mai gave her a grin, though it was a halfhearted one at best. "Of course."

Little did they know that what had happened the previous night would have the exact opposite effects. They would never forget what happened, and what came of it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, once again, thank you for the incredible response you guys! It means a lot, and I'm glad you guys enjoy it so much! I'm planning on this one being longer than my other story, and do not worry. It definitely won't be turning into The Secret Life or anything, it will still have tons of Chalek kicking ass :D Also, just to clarify, this story is AU after Girls Night Out.**

When the alarm clock began to buzz on her nightstand, Chloe groaned, and reached over to shut it off. However, as she moved her arm above her head, a familiar queasy feeling visited her once more.

Barely able to keep from groaning, Chloe nimbly leaped from her bed, and dashed into the en suite bathroom, collapsing to her knees in front of the porcelain toilet bowl. She had barely lifted the lid up, before she was heaving the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

After what felt like hours, a pair of warm hands pushed her curly blonde hair off of her sticky neck. Chloe sighed in contentment, as Alek turned her around, a concerned frown evident on his face.

"Chloe, are you alright?" He asked, feeling her clammy forehead. Unable to speak, Chloe simply nodded, as she was currently trying to remember how to breathe. Being in this close of proximity to Alek always brought back memories of that night, when he had moved his hands everywhere over body, and visited places that no man had been allowed to before.

"I'm fine Alek. I feel much better now." Chloe lied. She knew she would feel better by lunch though, this was the third time it happened this week. However, it didn't seem like Alek was buying it. He frowned at her.

"No, Chloe, you're sick. You should stay home today." Chloe shook her head. She couldn't afford to miss any school. Besides, she was used to this weird nausea. Maybe it was just an after effect of being Mai. Or the Uniter, since neither Jasmine, nor Alek seemed to have experienced anything like it before.

"I'll be fine. Seriously Alek, it's not the first time this has happened." He instantly looked concerned, and he grabbed Chloe's shoulders, gripping them tightly, but not painfully. Chloe avoided looking in his eyes. After all, she did not want to see the concern there. It hurt her, literally pained her heart, every time she saw concern or caring radiating from Alek's beautiful chocolate brown eyes, knowing that he would never feel the same way for her. She hated how the line between friends and something more was so blurry with him, yet distinctly present. She hated knowing that she would always have a piece of him, but it would never amount to anything more than what they already had.

She had thought she would be able to do this. She had thought that she would be able to move past that night, forget Alek, and move on from him. But she had been able to do no such thing. Brian continuously flirted with her, yet she felt nothing. He was now back at school, and Chloe couldn't be happier. Well, she could. If only Alek reciprocated her feelings. As it was, they still walked the school hallways as if nothing was wrong, Alek with his 'Jocko' basketball buddies, and Chloe with Amy and Paul. But it was slowly killing her inside, watching him flirt with cheerleaders, and mock the outsiders with his friends, knowing that she was in love with him, yet he did not feel the same way.

"Fine. If you insist. Stubborn head." Chloe raised her eyebrows, certain that she was not intended to hear the last part.

"You do know that I'm Mai too, right?" Chloe shot back, and Alek awarded her with his signature smirk, the one that made her heart lurch, and butterflies flutter in her stomach. No, wait, that was just the nausea revisiting.

She knew that Alek was watching her with concern. "Are you sure that you want to go to school today? You really don't seem well. If this is a recurring thing, maybe you should, I dunno, see a doctor? Or at least Aunt Val."

Chloe bit her lip. "No, I'm fine, I swear. I have to give an oral presentation in World History today, and they always make me nervous. I've been freaking out about it all week. I'll be fine, promise." She gave a convincing smile to Alek, who rolled his eyes.

"Such a mundane human thing to worry about. Honestly Chloe, if you're going to stress yourself to the point of illness, at least do it about something worthwhile, yeah?" Chloe rolled her eyes, and she shoved his shoulder playfully.

"Just because you're a smooth, cocky bastard does not mean that the rest of us are! I've never been good at giving presentations. I always fail them for speaking too quietly, or nearly passing out. It is a legitimate reason for being nauseas!"

Chloe stood up and stretched slightly, and she heard Alek draw in a sharp breath. "What?" She asked, frowning at him suspiciously. She was surprised to see him redden slightly, and turn away. Was Alek Petrov actually blushing?

"Erm, it's nothing, just…you sure you're alright?" Chloe frowned. What was that supposed to mean? He seemed to be determinedly looking away from her, though his eyes kept flickering back, slightly below her chin.

Chloe glanced down, and she quickly realized what Alek was noticing. She rolled her eyes. She was slightly pleased that Alek noticed, but at the same time, it still hurt. He didn't feel the same way. But at least she now knew she was at least slightly attractive to him.

"Oh grow up Petrov." She sighed. "They're breasts, you've seen them before." Though her words were exasperated and collected, it still hurt her, remembering that night.

Alek's blush only intensified. "They-they're bigger." He muttered, and Chloe stared at him for a moment, before bursting out into laughter. He blushed a deeper shade of red, and the female Mai attempted to contain her giggles somewhat. She missed this; this easy banter between the two, full of witty quips, and sarcastic innuendos. Whether they had wanted it to or not, everything had changed after that night, despite how hard they both tried to ignore that fact.

"Well, you certainly do wonders for a girl's ego." Chloe teased. "Now get out, because despite your habit to be overprotective, I am going to school, and I need to shower." Alek left, still blushing and muttering under her breath. As she stripped down, and entered the shower, Chloe couldn't help but look down and grin. Leave it to Alek to notice something like that.

* * *

><p>There was something different about Chloe. Alek couldn't quite place it, but he knew there was definitely something. What had happened earlier in the morning was only an example. The old Chloe would have blushed and pushed him away, or punched him, and then kicked him out. He had no idea where the newfound confidence had sprung up from, but he found it sexy as hell.<p>

And apparently he wasn't the only one.

"Damn. That King girl got pretty hot, you reckon?"

Alek instantly snapped his head around, and tried to contain his glare, as Joshua spoke to Malcolm, gazing appreciatively over at Chloe, who was chatting happily with Amy by her locker. She looked especially pretty today, wearing another one of her flowery tops, albeit a tighter one, that showed of her new…assets.

It killed Alek, knowing that he couldn't tell his two so called friends to knock it off, without a good reason. And if he told them that he was head over heels in love with Chloe King, and they had each taken each other's respective V card, they would laugh in his face, and not believe a word he said.

Besides, he wouldn't do that to Chloe. He knew what an announcement like that would do to her. Jasmine had been called the school slut for a year, until everyone found out that she was only Alek's cousin. He was a rather hot commodity at this school, and considering that he didn't date anyone, that just increased his cool level. Mimi had been the only girl he had ever been known to have a public relationship with. Even though Chloe was the only girl he wanted one with.

Girls could be more vicious than any jackal or Order member, this much Alek knew. Chloe was lucky; she had true friends in Amy and Paul, and she had escaped the painfully harsh gossip and rumors thus far. But he didn't want to put her at risk by hanging out with her more than necessary at school. If he started hanging out with Crazy Amy's best friend, the shy, quiet Chloe King, girls would immediately start talking and threatening her, especially the cheerleaders who seemed to believe that they were destined to live out a bad sitcom's high school cliché.

"You're staring."

Alek turned around and let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding. He glared at the smirk on his cousin's face, and rolled his eyes, turning back around and walking in the direction of his locker. "I wasn't staring. You're delusional as always Jazzy."

Jasmine sighed, and began to follow him. "I'm smarter than you Alek and you know it. Plus I'm a girl, I have intuition for these things. You're falling for her. And you're being quite obvious about it. I'm fairly sure even Paul can see it."

Ah yes, the comic con nerd. Alek rolled his eyes thinking about Chloe's friend. Why was she friends with him, and his insane girlfriend? Seeing Alek's expression, Jasmine frowned. "They're Chloe's friends Alek. You may not like them, but they're good people. Can you think of many other people at this school who would be okay with you, or I, or Chloe being Mai?"

Alek sighed. He hated that Jasmine had a point. "Paul is far too okay with us being Mai. And couldn't she have picked better than Crazy Amy?" Jasmine glared, and Alek knew he had gone a step too far.

"Hey. Just because you have feelings for Chloe doesn't mean you can lash out at me, or talk about Amy behind her back. She's a nice girl. They're both overenthusiastic, but they love Chloe. They care a lot about her, and she obviously cares about them. If you want to get on her good side, and have any shot with her, get to know them. They'll probably help."

Alek shook his head. "No. No way in hell am I hanging out with them. Besides, she's heads over heels in love with Bran."

Jasmine rolled her dark eyes. "First off, it's Brian." Alek shrugged. It didn't matter either way to him. "Besides, he's a college aged human. She doesn't have a chance with him. But getting to know her friends would be an advantage for you. As far as I've heard, Brian has never made any effort with them. It would make Chloe happy, knowing that you were at least trying to be inclusive and friendly. They don't have a whole lot of friends, they would all appreciate it."

Alek tossed his head back in frustration and groaned. "Fine, fine. I'll invite them to our party next weekend, happy?" Jasmine grinned. Alek tried not to stare as Chloe walked by, not even sparing him a glance, focused on going to her next class. Amy followed a few moments later, hand intertwined with Paul's. So they were back together then. And Jasmine said he didn't care about the humans.

"Oi, you two. I'm having a party next weekend, you two can come."

Both sets of eyes widened, for completely different reasons. And as soon as they opened their mouths, Alek began to regret inviting them.

"You mean you're inviting us to a real high school party?" Amy squealed, and Alek rolled his eyes, though he felt slightly sympathetic. They truly were outsiders, weren't they? Maybe it was a good thing that they were friends with the Uniter.

Paul, however, was slightly more annoying. "You mean we get to spend more time in your lair? Dude, that is so awesome."

Placing her hands on her hip, Amy's look turned suspicious. "You are inviting Chloe too, right? I mean, we wouldn't even talk to each other if it weren't for her."

"Of course I'm inviting Chloe. And there'll be plenty of strawberries there, so she doesn't eat all of them before the other guests get to them." Jasmine snickered, remembering dinner a few nights ago, when Chloe had showed quite an affinity for strawberries.

Amy and Paul exchanged a strange glance. "Strawberries? Chloe hates strawberries." Amy said, causing Jasmine and Alek to frown.

"She could have fooled us. She had a ton of them the other night."

Paul shrugged. "It's probably some Mai thing." Accepting the suggestion, Amy shrugged, and walked off, with Paul happily talking about some comic book.

Alek glared at Jasmine, who bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

"I'm going to kill them."


	3. Chapter 3

**To the people who wanted Chloe not to get pregnant her first time, I'm sorry, but she is. There is a one in twenty chance of getting pregnant the first time after having sex, which are very good odds. Besides, at the moment, the conflict of the story is the fact that Chloe and Alek are in love with each other, but don't think the other feels the same. Having sex again wouldn't make any sense. That being said, there is still a much deeper, darker plot going on here, other than teenage pregnancy.**

Chloe King was sitting on her bed, simply staring at the wall, deep in thought, trying to think about anything and everything. Aside from one particular subject, that was. She was waiting anxiously for Amy to arrive, and with every passing moment, she grew more fearful. What if she was right? What if this was really happening to her?

She really did not want her life to turn into some episode of daytime television, but it seemed that she wasn't really having much of a choice. She had to face the consequences of her actions. At first she had thought it would mean nursing a wounded heart, but she was quickly becoming worried that it might have far greater repercussions than something as trivial as a broken heart. Not that it hadn't hurt like hell when Alek delivered that painful blow.

Taking several deep breaths to steady her breathing, she glanced down at her phone. Ten minutes ago she had sent off a text to Amy, practically begging her to go to the nearest drug store, and purchase her a pregnancy test. Because Chloe King was finally facing the reality that she might be pregnant.

She was surprised that it hadn't occurred to her before. Two months ago she had unprotected sex with Alek. She had since shown symptoms of morning nausea, and completely weird cravings. Why hadn't it occurred to her before? Why hadn't she immediately gone to a clinic to get tested, after sleeping with Alek? She had assumed that he was a virgin, but what if she had picked something up from him? And now she might be pregnant?

Chloe felt her head spinning, and reached up to cover her eyes. She was sick of waiting, of dwelling on the what if's, but she was relying on Amy here. She was surrounded by a constant guard, and she knew that if she walked into a drugstore, and emerged with a pregnancy test, she knew that the news would circulate back to Valentina quicker than she could actually utilize the test.

Of course, that meant that she had to give some details to her nosy best friend. Amy always had her best interests at heart, but she was a very gossipy girl, and she would be dying inside, trying to figure out who could have gotten Chloe pregnant. But it was a small price to pay, if only to assuage Chloe's fears, or prove her concerns to be right.

She supposed she could have asked Paul. Or maybe Jasmine. But Paul would be just awkward, and he would probably come back with some shampoo, thinking it was a test. Or he would believe that some sort of mutant slime had impregnated Chloe so to raise its spawn, to carry out its evil schemes. And then there was no guarantee that Jasmine wouldn't report back to Valentina; or worse, Alek.

Just thinking of the blonde haired Mai made Chloe groan aloud. She could not believe that this was really a possibility. But of course, it was a very good possibility. In fact, it was most likely probable. And frankly, it scared the crap out of her. She did not want to be a teen mom. She had always been responsible, she had always scoffed at those girls on '16 and Pregnant', assuring both her mom, and herself that she would never be one of those girls. Yet here she was, waiting on a pregnancy test, waiting to see if her fate showed up positive or negative.

Suddenly her bedroom door slammed open, and Amy stood in the doorway, panting, and clutching a small plastic bag. Hmm, it seemed that the drugstores had upgraded from the telltale brown bag. Good thing too.

Before Amy could say anything, Chloe strode over to the window and locked it, drawing the curtains. Thankfully Alek wasn't on guard today, so the Mai who was protecting her probably would not be listening in, but she wanted to take precaution to make sure that the chances of them being overheard were slimmed. She had learned the hard way to play it safe.

"Okay, I got it. The box said that it's like, ninety nine percent accurate." Amy handed Chloe a box, and the blonde Mai took it, queasiness rolling in her stomach, that had nothing to do with what might be growing in her. "I know you just want to find out already, but after you take that test, we are sitting down and talking about this." Amy gave her a pointed stare, and Chloe nodded miserably.

"Thanks Ames." She said hoarsely. "You really are my best friend." Amy smiled at her, though it appeared strained. Taking a deep breath, Chloe went into her bathroom, and locked the door. Tearing open the box, she removed the small white stick with trembling hands.

Following the directions on the box, Chloe then washed her hands, and placed the test on the counter, and took several deep breaths. She glanced at herself in the mirror, seeing a pale, terrified girl, who looked even younger than the sixteen year old she was. She didn't need this. She had enough on her plate, what with her being Mai, and the Uniter, and attacked every other day. She did not need to be pregnant. In fact, this was the very last thing in the world that she needed.

Deciding that anything would be better than just standing here and waiting, she unlocked the door, and went out. Sitting on the bed, she looked Amy in the eyes, and said, "Go ahead."

It was as if she opened the floodgate. As soon as Amy's mouth opened, questions came tumbling out, faster than Chloe could really process them.

"Are you pregnant? How are you pregnant? Who did you sleep with? Was it Brian? How did you get around the whole 'curse' thing? How long ago was this? Was it any good? Did you use protection? Why didn't you tell me?"

The last question seemed to be laced with hurt, and Chloe winced. She took a deep breath, and attempted to answer Amy's questions to the best of her abilities.

"I don't know yet, I'm still waiting. And obviously I had sex, but not with Brian." Amy's mouth opened to deliver another round of questions, but Chloe cut her off. "I slept with Alek."

Promptly Amy's jaw dropped even lower, and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Remember like, two months ago, when we all went dancing? And someone gave me an alcohol filled drink? Alek was drinking too, and well, one thing led to another. Obviously we didn't use protection, which was probably the second stupidest thing we ever did, the first being sleeping with each other when there is absolutely no feelings between us."

Chloe couldn't help the bitter tone, and Amy obviously picked up on it. "Oh my god." She said, slightly breathless. "You like him. You have feelings for him, don't you?"

Chloe nodded miserably. "Yeah. And I was planning on telling him, after we…you know, but when he saw me, he started immediately telling me that it didn't matter. That it was just a quick hook up, nothing else. So I didn't tell him. And now everything is kind of awkward between us, and now this!" She held her hand up, gesturing towards herself, and what possibilities the scenario might have brought upon her. "That's why I didn't tell you. We agreed to pretend like it never happened; Alek so he wouldn't get punished by Valentina, and me so I could try to keep my dignity."

Amy looked at Chloe, her eyes filled with pity. "Oh my god, Chloe, I am so sorry." She reached over and hugged Chloe, arms wrapped carefully around her best friend. Glancing over at the clock, she squeezed her slightly, and said, "Chloe, I think you can check it now."

Taking a deep breath, Chloe shakily stood up, and disappeared into the bathroom. When she reappeared in the doorway, her arms were wrapped around herself, fear and regret painstakingly clear in her eyes.

And clutched in her hands was a small whites stick that spelled out 'pregnant' in thick, blocky letters.

* * *

><p>Music was playing loudly, bodies were moving back and forth to the rhythm of the songs, and the lights were dimmed, with a strobe light flashing colored lights. It was the high school party of the year, eighteen floors up, in a jamming penthouse, and Alek Petrov could not have been any more bored.<p>

He didn't know why he even had to host this party. The basketball players he hung out with at school said that it was his turn to host, and he had asked Valentina, so that he might keep up the façade of a normal high school jock. But at the moment, he wanted to be anywhere but here.

The plans for the evening had been altered slightly. He had been counting on at least having Jasmine and Chloe to talk to. However, Chloe's illness from the previous week had resurfaced, and she was currently at home sick. Jasmine, not wanting to be here anymore than he did, had gladly volunteered to watch over Chloe.

And so now he was stuck at a boring, human high school party, pretending to be something he wasn't, and wishing that Chloe were here. He knew that she really was sick, because she had been excited about the party. And Alek had been excited about Chloe being at the party. She was an amazing dancer, and he had been looking forward to dancing with her, to taking over the dance floor, showing the high school boys exactly how alluring Chloe King could be, and exactly how off limits she truly was.

But of course, she was sick. Alek was worried, as this was the second week, but neither Chloe nor her mother seemed to be showing any concerns. Then again, Chloe was annoyingly self sacrificing, and probably hadn't even told her mother.

Sighing, Alek grabbed a cup of soda, and began gulping it down. It was irritatingly hot, and he needed to cool down. He exchanged fist bumps with a few of his basketball buddies, but otherwise stayed generally out of the way. A few girls attempted to engage him in a dance, but he shook all of them off, easily enough. It wasn't like any of them were interesting. The only human that had ever held his interest, had been Chloe King.

Alek had never truly let himself become involved with humans. Even just admiring them from afar was far too 'Twilight' for him. But Chloe had interested him from the beginning. She certainly was pretty, and a fantastic dancer, yet she wasn't a cheerleader. She wasn't even on the fringes of popularity, she chose to remain completely outside the high school hierarchy, sticking to her crazy friends. It was a quality to be admired, and Alek had assumed that was all he would ever do. Until she became Mai.

He glanced around the apartment. This was probably many naïve people's ideals of a high school party, but all he could think about was how irritating this all was. He and Jasmine had taken great care to put anything Mai, and anything valuable, in the safe room. And without the artifacts and weapons, the apartment looked bare and sad, despite the raging party taking place inside of it.

Seeing Paul and Amy on the edges of the penthouse made Alek feel a slight pang of pity. Even when included in the epitome of high school popularity, they still did not feel welcome. Alek would not normally care; it wasn't as if he went around extending sympathy to the outcasts. But he had lately been realizing that Jasmine had a point. Chloe cared for them, and Alek cared for Chloe. He might as well make nice with them.

Walking over to them, he flashed a grin, and said, "Enjoying ourselves are we?" Paul nodded enthusiastically, and quickly went back to dancing like a lunatic. Amy, however, who was simply swaying back and forth, a clichéd red cup in her hand, simply glared at him. Hmm, that was odd. Well, he might as well find common ground.

"Is Chloe alright?"

However, as soon as her name passed over his lips, Amy's glare increased tenfold. "I'm sure she would be a whole lot better if you just stayed out of her life!" She said hotly, and then dragged a reluctant Paul off, leaving a confused Alek behind.

Had Chloe lied to him about being sick?

* * *

><p><strong>Preview for Chapter Four:<strong>

_Chloe was running as fast as her legs could take her, feet pounding across the pavement, her heart practically exploding out of her chest at its frantic beating. She was breathing heavily, and she felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Where was Alek? Where was Jasmine? Where was anyone? She was being chased by some deranged, psycho, were was that constant guard that she had?_

_But she realized no one was coming. And a part of her didn't want anyone to. She was in danger, she always would be. But at the moment, she was in mortal peril. She had eight lives, she would gladly spare one of her own to save the one life that another Mai had. _

_Yet, as she was literally flying across the streets of San Francisco, it dawned on her that she didn't just have eight lives to protect. There was another one, far more important than any of her own, and she had to protect that little underdeveloped life as well. She had to run as fast as she could, to escape this fate._

_Too bad the figure that had been chasing her dropped right in front of her._


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so starting tomorrow, updates will not be as often. I'm very sorry about that, but I am starting orientation, eight hours a day, five days a week. I can't promise daily updates on both of my stories, or even daily updates on one of my stories. I'll try to update as often as possible, it just won't be as frequent.**

**Also, in case I came off as critical in my last AN, I was not pointing fingers at anyone, I swear! I welcome constructive criticism, and I love to hear what you guys want to see/don't want to see. I was simply addressing a common concern, and I most definitely did not mean to sound accusing, so I'm sorry if it came out that way. I don't think it did, but just in case! **

The day started out normally enough. Well, normal enough for how things had been lately. Another quick round of nausea, followed by the sinking pit of guilt in her stomach, as soon as she left the house and saw Alek lingering by a tree, or on a roof, waiting for her. She knew that she would have to tell him eventually. Soon. After all, she was pregnant. It wasn't exactly like she would be able to hide it for long. But she didn't want him feeling guilty.

And she knew that he would. Chloe knew that the second Alek found out he impregnated her, he would immediately start beating himself up, and blaming himself. And while it was indeed, partially his fault, it took two to make a baby, that much Chloe had gathered from seventh grade health class. Apparently she hadn't been paying well enough attention to learn how to prevent a teenage pregnancy.

Besides, she did not want Alek to feel like he was obliged to be with her. Chloe had come to terms with her deep feelings for Alek, which were much deeper than she had even thought was possible. She had come to the conclusion that all she wanted was for Alek to be happy. No matter what that meant. Whether he was with another Mai, or single, she wanted the best for him. And of course, she wanted more than anything to be a part in making him happy. She wanted to be a big part, but if it wasn't in the cards, then it just wasn't meant to be.

Chloe wanted Alek to love her naturally. She wanted real love, the fairytale romance. Not some warped love that came out of a sense of duty towards her and his unborn baby. Chloe glanced around the classroom, before placing a flat palm protectively over her stomach. She had taken to resting her hand on her stomach; thankfully no one but Amy and Paul had noticed, and they were quick to point it out.

Chloe had never been more grateful for Amy, then when she learned that she had told Paul. Another girl might have been upset, but Chloe only felt indebted towards her closest friend. Paul was a part of their odd trio as well, and Chloe wanted him to know. She just hadn't wanted to tell him. Thankfully, Amy had done the telling for her, and now all that was left was Alek, her mother, and oh yeah, the rest of the world.

The bell overhead rang, and Chloe slid out of her seat easily, and quickly made her way to the door. She was beginning to feel fatigued, and she wanted to take a nap before going to training; today was Alek's day to train her, and she knew he wouldn't let her off, unless she provided a valid reason. And while 'hey, I'm pregnant with your offspring' was a perfectly legitimate reason, Chloe couldn't bring herself to tell Alek yet. It was her burden to bear for now. Thankfully, today was her day off, so she didn't have to go to work.

So walking quickly, she pushed open the entrance doors, and was greeted by the bright California sun. Despite it being December, it was always shining brightly. The air was still cold on her skin, but it didn't feel bad. Taking a deep breath, and inhaling the fresh oxygen, Chloe began making her way home, her shoes making an interesting 'clacking' sound against the pavement.

At first, she noticed nothing out of the ordinary. She was making good time on her way home. However, she noticed the tail of a black coat disappear down a narrow alley, and she drew her arms around herself. She glanced every which way, taking in her surroundings.

Chloe immediately noticed several alarming things. Besides the two men following her, Alek was nowhere in sight. She had no idea what had happened to her overprotective stalker, but she was imagining the worst; what else could get him to abandon his stalking routine?

She knew that neither of the men were Alek; she had grown attuned to him. Deciding to take matters into her own hands, she took a deep breath, and began to run, just as the two men began to close in on the young Mai.

The two men caught wind of what she was attempting to do, and before she knew it Chloe was running as fast as her legs could take her, feet pounding across the pavement, her heart practically exploding out of her chest at its frantic beating. She was breathing heavily, and she felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Where was Alek? Where was Jasmine? Where was anyone? She was being chased by some deranged, psycho, where was that constant guard that she had?

But she realized no one was coming. And a part of her didn't want anyone to. She was in danger, she always would be. But at the moment, she was in mortal peril. She had eight lives, she would gladly spare one of her own to save the one life that another Mai had.

Yet, as she was literally flying across the streets of San Francisco, it dawned on her that she didn't just have eight lives to protect. There was another one, far more important than any of her own, and she had to protect that little underdeveloped life as well. She had to run as fast as she could, to escape this fate.

Too bad the figure that had been chasing her dropped right in front of her.

Chloe skidded to a stop, her hair flying in front of her face. She immediately turned to backtrack, but the other man approached her from behind. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the features of the second figure, were distinctly feminine, despite the short, boxy haircut.

"Chloe King. We have been waiting for you."

Okay, creepy. And as much as Chloe wanted to ask the creepy people in black what the heck they were talking about, she knew that it would be foolish. It was better to strike while the iron was hot.

Bringing her foot off the ground in a single, deadly movement, she managed to clip the man in the jaw, and send him sprawling on the dirty alley floor. The woman made a move, diving at Chloe, but she swung around, bringing her left shoulder smashing into the woman's head, and elbowing her in the gut, causing her to yelp.

As the black haired woman went tumbling to the ground, her counterpart seemed to recover. However, Chloe was ready for him, parrying each of his hits, and even getting in a few of her own. Yet he managed to land a blow on her cheek, and one dangerously close to her stomach. It was this that sent Chloe into a fury, swinging her foot up to knee him in the groin, and then kick him in the ribs. She pushed him into the woman, and they both collapsed on the ground. She grinned at the sorry pair, but then looked up. She was happy to have taken herself, but there was still one important question.

Where the hell was Alek?

* * *

><p>Alek was dashing across the streets of San Francisco, breathing in as much air as he could, while maintaining the same speed. How thick could he have been? He had left Chloe alone. Sixty seconds. A single minute was all it had taken, and now she might lose a life. And it was entirely Alek's fault.<p>

It wasn't even over anything truly worthwhile! Mimi had stopped him in the hallway, and asked him what he was doing the next Saturday. He had flirted and teased her mercilessly, before finally cinching in plans for a date that day. However, she was not his priority. A date with a Mai he didn't even truly care about was not even close to his priority.

Chloe was. And now she was in danger. Because he had neglected his duties. Alek didn't know why he had even talked to Mimi. Sure, she was attractive, but she wasn't radiant. She had a nice body, but she could never compare to Chloe's lithe frame, her smooth, pale skin. The two were not comparable in Alek's mind. But he was a teenage boy.

Of course, he had more respect for Mimi, and more self respect than to go seeking a quick hook up, however, he craved attention just as much as the next person. And if he couldn't have the woman he loved, he was content to enter a relationship that would be mutually beneficial to both parties. Mimi wanted more than he could, or would give, but she was content to call themselves a couple, and simply make out. And that was all he was looking for.

Yet somehow, in his twisted mind, he had allowed that to take precedence. Over Chloe. Valentina would kill him, and then Jasmine would raise him from the dead, so she could kill him again. He had left the Uniter unguarded. She could be hurt, she could have lost a life. It was a very real possibility. Alek had failed her. Whether she was alive or not, whether she had a single scratch on her, was irrelevant. Alek had not put her first in his mind, and he had failed her.

Pushing himself to run faster, he finally caught scent of her sweet fragrance. The smell of strawberries and vanilla was heaven to Alek; it meant Chloe. However, he also smelled something else in her natural scent; something distinctly different. He couldn't place it, but he would question her later. Right now, his main focus was the two Order members who were scrambling off the ground, and away from Chloe.

"We will meet again Mai. And we will get your little one eventually."

Alek had no idea what they were talking about, but Chloe seemed to turn deathly white. She made no move to chase after them as they began running away. Alek desperately wanted to ask her what they meant, but he had more important things to do first. Namely question Chloe, to make sure that she was perfectly alright. But he was a second too late, because Chloe rounded on him, and glared at him.

"Where the hell were you? I thought you were always watching! Lord knows you're there when I don't want you, or when I want to sleep, or hang out with Brian, but when I'm actually attacked, you aren't even here! What the hell Alek?"

Though Alek was chastising himself for the very same thing, a part of him bristled. What had he done to make Chloe so mad? "I already know that I failed my task. I will get an efficient lecture, I don't need one from you as well." He said coolly, and Chloe seemed to grow with rage.

"You think a lecture is going to fix that? I'm improving in my training, yes, but I am nowhere near ready to take on two Order members!"

Alek raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really?" He drawled sarcastically. "Because I was under the impression that was exactly what you had just done. Impressive, though I could do without the angry outburst." Alek knew that he was the wrong one here. Chloe was right. He should have been watching her, following her. He had placed her in unnecessary danger.

"I thought you were watching me!" Chloe all but shrieked, and Alek was shocked to see some tears gathering in her eyes. "I trust you Alek, I trust you with my lives! I don't want to die again, okay! I know it's selfish of me, but I don't want to die again! Last time I was thrown of Coit Tower, the second time is supposed to be worse! I can't…I'm not strong enough."

Chloe was shaking her head, her blonde curls trembling, along with the rest of her body. Alek was shocked at the sudden outburst of emotions. He decided Chloe must be PMS'ing. That would explain it. Her arms was wrapped around her middle, as if sheltering herself from the cruelties of the harsh world.

Not knowing what else to do, Alek walked over to her, and wrapped her in a tight hug, acting completely on instinct. "You're right. And I'm sorry. I should have been watching. I…I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you Chloe." Chloe practically melted into the hug, and for a brief second, Alek could pretend that she was his, and her heart belonged to him. But he knew that wasn't possible.

Tilting her chin up, so that she was looking into his eyes, he spoke again. "I will do everything possible to make sure that you do not have to die again. Including dying myself. But you are strong enough. Chloe, you are the strongest person I know. You are the Uniter, and you do have the strength to do it. With the assistance of your lovely protector of course."

Chloe smiled, and nudged him slightly. "Oh of course." Alek grinned at her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Come on, let's get you home. No training today, yeah?" Chloe grinned widely at him, and he knew that it was worth the lecture he would get from his Aunt Val, just to see that beautiful smile lighting up her face.

The two walked to the King house in that position, completely oblivious to each other's emotional dilemma regarding the other, and especially deaf to all the comments around, about what a cute couple the pair of them made.

**Preview for Chapter Five:**

"_All I'm saying Chloe, is that you should go in. I mean, who knows? Maybe you'll even find out that you aren't pregnant after all? Wouldn't that be a relief?"_

"_Ames. I had unprotected sex, I'm having morning sickness, cravings, and mood swings. There's really not a chance that I'm not pregnant. Besides, as relieving as it would be, it would be kind of disappointing too. I mean, I've grown a little attached already. I don't know what I would do if I found out that I wasn't pregnant."_

"_Wait, you want to be pregnant? And you shouldn't grow attached. I mean, you have options, you should at least consider them."_

"_Of course I don't want to be pregnant. I'm sixteen! But the fact is, I am, and that isn't going to change. I know I have options, but the fact is, I have grown attached. There is a bean sized baby in here, that I've been carrying for three months. A little piece of Alek, you know? And I'm not giving that up."_


End file.
